How to Use These Prompts

These prompts work with ChatGPT (GPT-4o), Claude, or any capable AI assistant. Replace bracketed placeholders with your specific details. Always review AI outputs for accuracy before using them in business documents or communications.

Security note: Never paste sensitive system details, network diagrams, security configurations, or personal data into public AI tools. Use generic descriptions when testing prompts.

IT Planning and Strategy Prompts

Technology roadmap:

"Help me develop a three-year IT technology roadmap for an Australian [industry] organisation with approximately [number] employees. Current environment: [brief description, e.g. on-premises servers, Microsoft 365, legacy ERP]. Business priorities: [list priorities]. Key constraints: [budget, skills, compliance requirements]. Structure the roadmap by year with key initiatives, dependencies, and estimated effort."

Cloud migration planning:

"Develop a phased migration plan for moving [describe workload, e.g. our on-premises file servers / ERP system / email] to the cloud. We are an Australian organisation with [number] users. Consider: data sovereignty requirements under the Australian Privacy Act, connectivity requirements, business continuity during migration, and staff training needs."

IT budget justification:

"Help me write a business case for [IT investment, e.g. upgrading our network infrastructure / implementing a new ITSM platform / deploying endpoint detection and response]. The investment is approximately [amount]. Benefits include: [list benefits]. Risks of not investing: [list risks]. Audience: executive leadership team."

Legacy system modernisation:

"We have a legacy [system type] that is [describe issues, e.g. no longer supported / causing performance problems / expensive to maintain]. Help me develop a business case for modernisation. Include: current costs and risks, modernisation options (replace, re-platform, re-build), recommended approach, and implementation considerations for an Australian organisation."

Vendor Evaluation Prompts

RFP development:

"Help me develop an RFP for [technology category, e.g. managed security services / cloud backup / ITSM platform] for an Australian organisation with [number] employees. Include: scope of services required, technical requirements, security and compliance requirements (including Essential Eight and Privacy Act), evaluation criteria, and commercial requirements."

Vendor comparison:

"Compare [Vendor A] and [Vendor B] for [use case] in an Australian enterprise context. Consider: functionality, Australian data sovereignty, local support, integration with [existing systems], licensing model, and typical implementation complexity. Present as a structured comparison table."

Contract review checklist:

"Generate a checklist of key items to review in a software vendor contract for an Australian organisation. Include: SLA requirements, data handling and sovereignty clauses, security obligations, exit rights and data portability, liability limitations, and Australian-specific considerations."

Policy and Documentation Prompts

IT policy drafting:

"Draft an [policy name, e.g. Acceptable Use Policy / Remote Work Technology Policy / BYOD Policy / Software Asset Management Policy] for an Australian organisation with [number] employees. Include: purpose, scope, policy statements, employee responsibilities, IT responsibilities, and review schedule. Align with Australian Privacy Act requirements where relevant."

Incident communication:

"Draft a user communication for a [type of IT incident, e.g. email outage / network disruption / system maintenance window] affecting [systems]. The incident started at [time]. Expected resolution: [time or unknown]. Include: what is affected, what users should do in the meantime, and when to expect an update. Tone: professional and reassuring."

Post-incident report:

"Create a post-incident report template for an IT outage affecting [systems]. Include sections for: incident summary, timeline, root cause, business impact, resolution steps, and preventive actions. Format for an Australian executive audience."

Change management communication:

"Draft a communication to staff about an upcoming IT change: [describe change, e.g. migration to new email platform / Windows upgrade / new VPN solution]. Include: what is changing, when, what staff need to do, where to get help, and who to contact with questions. Tone: clear and reassuring."

Team Management Prompts

Job description:

"Write a job description for a [role, e.g. Systems Administrator / IT Support Analyst / Cloud Engineer] position at an Australian [industry] organisation. Include: role overview, key responsibilities, required skills and experience, and desirable qualifications. Reflect current Australian IT market expectations."

Performance review:

"Help me structure a performance review for an IT team member. Their role is [role]. Key achievements this period: [list]. Areas for development: [list]. Generate a balanced review structure with specific, constructive feedback and development goals."

Team meeting agenda:

"Create a monthly IT team meeting agenda for a team of [number] people responsible for [describe IT function]. Include standing items for: operational updates, project status, security and compliance, team development, and upcoming changes. Duration: 60 minutes."

Security and Compliance Prompts

Essential Eight assessment:

"Help me assess our organisation's Essential Eight maturity. For [mitigation strategy], describe what Maturity Level [current level] looks like and what we need to do to reach Level [target level]. Our environment is: [brief description]."

Security awareness communication:

"Write a security awareness message for all staff about [security topic, e.g. phishing / password hygiene / safe remote working]. Keep it under 200 words, use plain language, and include a clear call to action. Audience: non-technical employees at an Australian organisation."

Vendor security assessment:

"Generate a security assessment questionnaire for a new software vendor. We are an Australian organisation subject to the Privacy Act. The vendor will [describe access, e.g. process personal data / have access to our network / host our data in the cloud]. Include questions covering: data handling, security controls, incident response, and compliance certifications."

Tips for Better Results

• Provide context about your industry, organisation size, and technology environment
• Specify Australian regulatory context (Privacy Act, Essential Eight) when relevant
• Ask for outputs in specific formats (tables, checklists, bullet points) for easier use
• Follow up with "What are the most common implementation challenges?" for practical depth
• Always review AI-generated policy and legal content with appropriate experts